In the previous discussion we learned that a videogame script is similar to a cinematic script but with more info included like a longer Treatment (Executive Overview), World History, Character Descriptions and Character Backstories. If all that weren't enough there are a few more critical elements left to be included such as; Game Flowcharts, NPC interactions, subquests, cut scenes and the storyboard. Once you have all of that taken care of, then you can start writing your script!
So here's a breakdown of the second section of V-Game script elements:
Game Flowchart - Arguably the most critical component in your script as it will map out all the actions/consequences which will occur when the player makes decisions in the game. Depending on the length and complexity of the game, your flowchart can be anywhere from a page to hundreds of pages long (i.e. 'Bejeweled' vs 'Final Fantasy')! You'll need some software like MS Word to do a 'clean flowchart' to include with your script as it will reference the actions in your script to what will occur in the game if a player takes a particular route or makes a decision during gameplay. Game producers will take a hard look at your flowchart and will be able to see at a glance whether the 'flow' of the decision making process will be potentially pleasing to game players.
NPC Interactions - Non-Player Characters are the 'filler' characters that help drive the story along and or just help populate the world you've created. Keep NPC's simple meaning they don't need a deep backstory like your Main Characters. Sometimes a shopkeeper is just that. What you will need to do is write out what happens when a player or main character interacts with an NPC. In my fav' game "DOOM 3" there are lab technicians hiding in the Mars facility as the plague rages. They help you to perform basic tasks or guide you towards your next objective. I often 'thank' them with a bullet to the head to 'spare them' the horrors of the plague.
Subquests - These are the little side searches for an item or an NPC who can tell you where to find an item. You'll have to treat these as smaller stories with a beginning, middle and end. Subquests can be as simple or intricate as you care to make them.
Cut Scenes - Often these are the 'cinematic' breaks that show the opening or closing of a game scene, introduce or show the demise of a level boss. Cut Scenes can be a blessing or curse as players generally want to get to 'the killin'' and not sit around waiting for your grand scene to play out. Since cutscenes play out with no interaction from the player, you'll have to write them as a straight scene with a b,m, and e. Generally, it's best to keep cutscenes just long enough to transmit the pertinent info so players don't get bent waiting for it to be over.
Storyboard - Just as with a cinematic script, your storyboard is like a 'comic book' with sketches of what you imagine the scene to look like and short text of what's going on in the scene. A typical cinematic storyboard is 3 or 4 panels per page. Text is no more than a paragraph of 5 lines.
Now that you have all of that stuff together you can finally start writing your script! In the final part I'll include an example of a game script and talk about your 'Game Design Document'. In the meantime, here is a video on 'how to write a videogame script'.
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